Student Gives More than Donations in St. Baldrick’s Cancer Fundraiser

Monday, 12 March 2012

When Amanda Carr ’12 of Terre Haute, Indiana, began her internship at the University of Illinois Medical Center she did not expect to lose all of her hair, but after a few weeks there she knew it was something she had to do.

Carr, who is interning at the medical center through Trinity’s Chicago Semester program, signed up to raise money for St. Baldrick’s Day. Participants in the event raise money for research for childhood cancer in exchange for shaving their heads.

As a psychology major, Carr spends her time on the pediatric floor unit and shadows a Child Life Specialist. The specialist works with children and prepares them for surgery by answering questions, familiarizing them with the medical equipment, and playing with them.

After working and playing with the children, Carr began to feel connected to them and felt the call to do more. It was then that she decided to sign up for the St. Baldricks Day event hosted by the hospital on February 23.

“When seeing these courageous young patients fight cancer every day, my desire and compassion for this cause grew even stronger,” said Carr. “I decided that since I could not offer them anything medical-wise, perhaps I could offer them my time, dedication, and my hair.”

So far, Carr has raised over $1,700 and is continuing to get donations. Carr is thankful for her mother’s support both through finding donations and attending the shaving event.

“I think my mother was very apprehensive and shocked that her long-haired daughter was going to be bald at first,” said Carr. “However, once I told her the stories about the patients she immediately was compelled to help me raise donations to shave my head.”

Carr plans to go to graduate school after graduating from Trinity this spring, but hopes to continue working on pediatric floors through volunteering.